Bringing an end to the manhunt launched by the Central Crime Branch (CCB), mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy, who has been accused of bribing an Enforcement Directorate official in a Ponzi scheme-related case, arrived at the CCB office on Saturday. Janardhana Reddy walked into the CCB office with his lawyer Chandrasekhar and claimed that he will cooperate with authorities. He was hounded by media personnel who were stationed at the CCB office.
Speaking to the media, Janardhana Reddy denied that he was absconding from the police. "I did not abscond. I was in Bengaluru only. When the issue was first reported in the media, I told my lawyer that it would be better to go to the police. However, my lawyer said that since we had not received any notice from the police and since my name does not appear in the FIR, there was no need to go to the police,” he told reporters.
"My lawyer received a notice on Saturday morning stating that I must appear before the CCB for questioning on Sunday. However, I have come today itself. I have not done anything wrong. They don't have any proof. I can guarantee you that they won't find anything to incriminate me," he added.
However, a source in the CCB speaking to TNM said, "We will initiate legal action against Janardhana Reddy. We have proof of his transactions with Ambidant.”
ACP Venkatesh Prasanna is currently questioning Janardhana Reddy and the officials have around 20 questions for him. "Reddy claims to not have any knowledge about the money laundering. He claims that he heard about the allegations against him through his lawyer and the media. He is evasive while answering questions." a source in the CCB told TNM.
Reddy's appearance comes hours after he released a video from an undisclosed location in which he claimed he is not absconding and that he is in Bengaluru. In the video, his lawyer claimed that the police has not released any evidence to support its search of Janardhana Reddy and that his name was not in the FIR filed by police He had also asked for two of the investigating officers in the case to be changed.
The mining baron was earlier denied anticipatory bail by a city court on Friday. The CCB had summoned him in connection to an investigation against Ambidant Marketing Ltd suspected to be involved in a Ponzi scheme. Janardhana Reddy was accused of shielding perpetrators from being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He is currently being questioned by officials of the CCB over the case
The ED on Thursday charged Ambidant's owners Syed Fareed Ahmed and his son Syed Afaq Ahmed of running a potential Ponzi scheme in the name of 'Islamic banking'. During the course of the interrogation of the Ahmeds, the CCB claims that the duo gifted Reddy 57 kg gold for bailing them out of cases by police and ED.
CCB has been searching for Janardhana Reddy this week and have raided his mansion in Ballari.
Janardhana Reddy, a former BJP Minister in the state, is currently out on bail in connection with the multi-crore mining scam that was uncovered in 2011. He is also barred from entering Ballari, his home district, due to a Supreme Court order.